Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 5:11

"Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences." — 2 Corinthians 5:11 (ASV)

“The fear [GK 3832] of the Lord” here is not personal piety nor the terror that the omnipotent Lord arouses in the hearts of people (e.g., Genesis 35:5), but the reverential awe Paul had for Christ as his divine assessor and future judge (v.10). Aware of his personal accountability, Paul strove to persuade other people of the truth of the Gospel, which included both exposition of Scripture about Jesus and his kingdom and discussion about practical life, and the truth concerning himself (i.e., that his motives were pure and sincere [cf. 1:12] and that his apostolic credentials and conduct were sound [cf. 3:1–6; 4:1–6]). Whether or not those to whom Paul addressed his appeal recognized his claims as true, God recognized him for what he was. Yet Paul realized it was necessary for the Corinthians to come to a proper understanding of his apostolic status and conduct.